does your 17mo play indep?j

[*happy*]

Just curious!

[TracyP21]

Hey Happy, depends on his mood - rested and not teething (though not sure when he has never not been teething lol) he will happily play with toys - up to 20 minutes. 

[barbaraz78]

Mine started playing independently at about 3... So, at 17 mo he was almost fully dependent on us for playing.

[cath~]

With L she wasn't really playing independently (not for any sustained period) at 17 months but I remember noticing a big change after her second birthday when she got much better at it - esp with inaginative play eg with her dolls, cooker etc.

Have you read this?
Cycle of Activity-Help Build Independent Playtime

I found it really helpful.

[*happy*]

Yes!i read it!hence my panic!DD used to be quite content to
sit&look at her books,but when i think about it,that was
quite a few months ago!now,when i leave the room,she
rushes after me!im trying to back away a little but
still stay on the floor with her,kwim?
Id love to help her be more indep in her play,esp with
another LO on the way!

[anna*]

Audrey does, but never when I want/need her to! I think being a second child forces them to be that bit more independent. If I'm busy with Stan I can say "Go and look at your books" or "Can you play with your cars?" and she will toddle off and find something. Actually thinking about it now I'd say yes she's really good at playing independently, but as I say I think a lot of it is being a second baby and also I'm sure a big part of it is personality. She is Miss Independence and will wonder half way off across the park just exploring her world.

[*happy*]

Lol!DD has her moments of wandering off alright,but
tends to stick near us when we are in the house!

[creations]

Do you do toy rotation Happy?
I put away half of DS's kitchen stuff months and months ago and without giving anything extra it completely reinvigorated his cooking play.  My plan had been to rotate after a few weeks but I've left it literally AGES.  In that time he's had a few additions like Nana knitted some sandwiches, and one or two other little bits but really he was just happier with less.  I finally did the switch a few days back and he was immediately hooked.
Having said all that, I long ago realised that DS's best independent play (20 to 30 mins at a time and several times per day) was all poo related.  if he needed to poo he would take himself off to the other room or other side of the room and totally focus on some toy or whatever and wouldn't have noticed if I'd disappeared in a puff of pink smoke.  Once the poo was out he emerged from his solitary world and wanted cleaning and full on attention again (until the next poo!).  So I don't know if this REALLY counts as independent play!

[barbaraz78]

Oh Creations, this is so much as F! I think that he really started to playinf independently when he went on the potty for poo, he started reading books alone and he didn't want us in the toilet while he was in the process. He still always ask me to go away when he is doing poo in the toilet. Apparently, he likes to be alone when he goes. Pretty much as us as adults (at least me)!

[*happy*]

Rotflmao at yer little boys and their poo-habits!but in a
nice way of course!xxx

yes,i rotate toys a fair bit.she is engrossed initially
but it tends to wear off v fast!

[anna*]

I do think that a good bit of it is personality. My son was never really good at independent play (still isn't unless I push it).

[creations]

lol my DS did 5 - 7 poos per day when he did them in the nappy (reducing to 2 per day in the potty), so you can imagine I thought I had the BEST independent player EVER 

If you rotate often and the initial interest short lived maybe try some 'invitations to play' (if you don't already). At one time I thought these were some magical thing that other people had the time and energy to set up but that I was useless at, then I realised all you have to do is set out some toys in a way they don't expect. So for example at night before I go to bed I might get his box of animals out and line them all up across the living room floor, takes 2 mins.  Then he 'discovers' them the following morning and bingo he thinks it's amazing.

I think there is also a developmental aspect though. Phases in and out of independent playing and yes personality too.

[*happy*]

Hmm-that's what im wondering with DD anna.she is v routine-
happy,iykwim!so im afraid we are "enabling" dependent play
rather that facilitating indep play,if that makes sense?!

Thats a great idea-yet again!-creations!ive never done that-
ive always left the toys in a toybox&let her choose!

[barbaraz78]

I agree it is a lot personality. F really has only one game now that he plays independently for 30 mins (even more on the good days) which is CARS. It started playing independently with cars, and it is the only thing that he goes on doing independently. All the other things, he plays for 5-10 mins at the very max, then asks our help. Then there are other games where he needs our help but we can do also something else, like "reading" in English (English is not our mother language and he's doing an English class for little children), where he wants I repeat every words he "reads" (like he does with the teacher I guess). But yes, at 3.5 yo he's not so much able to playing independently for long time with many toys. It became better though. And now he plays a lot with his peers (if he knows them), and doesn't need me when he has his "friends" (of course he needs to regulate fights, but it is different..).

lol my DS did 5 - 7 poos per day when he did them in the nappy (reducing to 2 per day in the potty), so you can imagine I thought I had the BEST independent player EVER 

lol

[*happy*]

We only get 1 poo a day! Oh well!

Feeling so much better about this now girls,thanks!
I'll let ye know how we get on!x

[creations]

Have a look here Happy, it's where I first read about invitations to play (linked by another BWer)
http://theimaginationtree.com/2012/05/creating-invitations-to-play.html
But don't bother to feel overwhelmed or inferior after reading it and looking at the beautiful photos, because like I say it really doesn't have to take ages, don't require you go out and buy a heap more stuff and doesn't need to look pretty unless you are planning on starting a blog

Toys in boxes are great, DS and I tidy together every evening before bath time and he knows where things are when he wants them, but putting something out to be discovered can be magical (or ignored...The ones that are ignored just tidy up at the end of the day and try again with that next month, they aren't all going to be a success).
We had a flurry of drawing when I left a chalk board, one chalk and a duster on the living room floor.
But then this week I set out a wheelbarrow and some blocks, a bucket and spade and after a few mins he was crying and asked me to take it away   He was too tired for so much fun.  9 or 10 hrs later he asked for it back

[*happy*]

Thanks a mil!will have a look at that now!x

[Nauvoo]

dd2 will play independently in the other room even. but like others have already said I think it really is personality. in conjunction I think having an older sibling helps not only for company but to play with. of course they never play independently when i have something important to do! never!

[*happy*]

yes,DD is quite happy to play if she has another LO in the
vicinity!maybe i should "rent-a-playdate" for when baby
comes in oct&im not as available as i am now!!!